


The Balance

by joonohon



Series: Ereri Canonverse Week 2015 [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Day 2: Cleaning Day, Ereri Canonverse Week, Ereri Canonverse Week 2015, Ereri Week, M/M, Queerplatonic Relationships, canonverse, cleaning day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4761140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joonohon/pseuds/joonohon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The levels of military rank never shifted, but the scales of trust between them tipped with each and every day.</p>
<p>Or, how cleaning can be the vessel in which bridges are built between two hearts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Balance

The leaves rustled and hung precariously from their branches, falling off with a muted click to the ground. They crunched under Eren's broom, scraping against each other as he put them in neat piles. 

Eren took a deep breath, letting the brisk air fill his lungs and sting the back of his throat. The weather was perfect. The sun was just barely peeking out from behind a cloud, the overcast sky providing shelter from its rays. The wind picked up and unsettled some of the leaves, scattering them along the cement in one direction. Broom in hand, Eren quickly put them back in their place.

A louder crackling from behind made him turn around, and he saw the Captain, leisurely making his way toward the leaves with his arms wrapped around himself.

"Eren."

He smiled. "Captain."

Levi scoffed, shaking his head softly. His gaze was on the ground, focused on his feet as he swung them idly and they scuffed the pavement. His hair twirled around itself, rising and falling with the wind. "You don't have to call me that when we're alone, you know." 

Eren blinked. He felt color rising in his face, cheeks a dark pink. He rubbed his neck with his free hand, laughing nervously. When Levi looked at him, he averted his eyes, choosing to stare at the trees that surrounded the castle. Levi quirked a brow, smirking at Eren's display. 

"Yeah... I guess it just feels weird. With you being my superior, and all." Eren shrugged, trying to pass it off as nothing. He turned to the ground, the broom swiping at concrete loudly, in hopes of ending the conversation and moving on to something else. 

"It's only weird if you think of me that way." Levi mumbled, hugging himself tighter as the wind picked up speed.

They stayed silent for a few moments, only the scraping of the broom and the whooshing of the wind filling the air with noise. Levi sniffled, rubbing his nose with a finger before sighing. 

"Well, I think I'm going to head inside. Dinner is almost ready, and every one else has finished their jobs. You can come in anytime." 

Eren nodded, choosing to look into the trees while Levi turned to walk inside. His steps faltered, and he returned at a brisk pace to place a hand on Eren's shoulder. The brunette's eyes widened, staring at the hand in awe. He quickly glanced at the windows of the castle, finding them all empty, and realized what Levi was doing. 

Levi was quiet, looking as if he was in pain for a moment before blurting out a rushed "Don't be afraid to talk to me if you need to." Eren blanched, and Levi nodded jerkily, promptly turning on the spot and going inside.

Eren was left watching the door Levi disappeared behind, a warm feeling in his chest. He didn't know what it meant, but he knew one thing for sure.

He wanted to take Levi up on his offer.

\--

Dinner proceeded as usual. Eren sat with Mikasa and Armin, slurping down his soup with the occasional chewy vegetable, alongside a somewhat stale piece of bread. It wasn't Sina cuisine by far, but Eren appreciated the company of his friends. 

He could see the veterans sitting at their own table a few feet away. Hanji was talking excitedly, waving their hands about while Commander Erwin watched attentively. Mike was smirking contentedly, seemingly amused by their eccentricity, and Levi... He seemed distracted, nodding absently with a distant look in his eyes. 

Eren's eyebrows scrunched together, worry trickling down his spine. He didn't like that look. It made Levi seem like a ghost. Just drifting his way around. 

Eren jerked upright from where he was slouching when those eyes suddenly focused on his own. They were searching, almost hopeful in the dim light before they looked away and towards the other occupants of their own table. Levi relaxed a bit, making a quiet comment on whatever Hanji was ranting about, their raucous laugh following what was surely a sarcastic comment.

Eren gulped. His nerves were all over, and his head was buzzing with questions. Was something wrong? Did he do something? Why the look? What was Levi searching for? Should Eren even go talk to him tonight, like he had planned?

He shook his head, clearing the rampage of thoughts. He had already decided. He was going. He wasn't going to let his insecurities get in the way of becoming closer to Levi.

As he caught Levi glancing his way, shifting his gaze elsewhere when caught, Eren knew he had made the right choice.

\--

Levi's room was empty. 

Eren figured it out after about ten minutes of anxiously waiting outside, breath bated with every knock. He then trudged down the stairs, making his way to the dungeon when he heard clanging. He stopped in his tracks, searching the corridor for the source and following it when it rang out again. The noise led him to the dining hall, where there was but one light on, coming from the kitchen.

The oil lamp cast drastic shadows on Levi's face, highlighting the curve of his nose and the swell of his cheekbone elegantly. Swear glistened on his forehead, breath coming in long pants as he exerted himself. The dishes in front of him were in neat piles, almost none of them dirty anymore. He didn't even notice Eren standing a few feet from him.

Eren knocked on the doorframe. "Capt- I mean... Levi?" 

Levi looked at him shortly, grunting in acknowledgement before returning to the task at hand. The short response would have anyone else angry, but Eren saw it. The slight tremor in Levi's fingers. 

Levi was nervous. 

Eren smiled gently, walking up to the sink and dipping his hands in the cool water. He grabbed a dish for himself, looking for a rag to clean it with, when a hand placed itself on his forearm.

"What are you doing? I'm cleaning them myself."

Eren blinked. "I'm helping you, Levi."

The older man's eyes narrowed. Eren wasn't fazed. He now understood what Levi was trying to tell him earlier that day. 

"Go to bed; that's an order."

Eren smiled again, grabbing Levi's hand in his own.

"No."

Levi didn't move for a second, irritation clouding his features. "No? What do you mean, no? I'm your superior, and I-"

"No, Levi.", Eren insisted softly. "I know now. We're equals."

Levi's eyes widened, a soft blush creeping onto his cheeks and his eyes glistening with every flicker of the lamps flame. He quickly looked away, hiding his face as he continued to scrub at the plates vigorously.

He never wanted to leave this man's side.

Something told him that the feeling was mutual.

Eren's chest warmed, and he picked up his plate once more, running a rag over it carefully. He sighed contentedly, feeling at peace standing next to his Captain; his fellow comrade. 

His friend.

**Author's Note:**

> This one is kinda meh but I didn't wanna do the stereotypical kind of cleaning together thing... Idk I wanted to do something different with only mild references to actual cleaning lmao
> 
> Clearly, this weeks theme is friendship or something idk I'm pulling these fics out of my ass I'm sorry


End file.
